Do you know
Christians suffer,
sorrow remains,
Satan attacks,
sin makes us stumble?
Do you know
life hurts,
joy wanes,
hope hides,
pain silences praise?
Do you know
unanswered questions,
unrealized desires,
unspoken needs,
the high stakes of suffering?
Do you know
the doubt,
the aloneness,
the discomfort,
of life torn apart?
Do you know
grace is not
always rescue,
but power
to keep enduring?
Do you know
it takes courage
to gather
with joyful saints
and overcomers?
Do you know
we need
sacred spaces,
scars seen,
lament welcomed?
Do you know
sorrow comes
before joy,
we ache for the
coming kingdom?
Do you know
salvation comes
from God,
not self-sufficiency
and striving?
Do you know
Jesus willingly
accepted suffering,
the Spirit
groans on our behalf?
Do you know
you are never
too broken,
too needy
for Christ’s kingdom?
Do you know
we are
formed by affliction,
shaped by suffering,
conformed to the image of Christ?
Do you know
we are
canvases of
God’s art,
reflecting our Savior?
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed” (1 Pet. 4:12-13).
***
Inspired by thoughts from chapter 9 of This Too Shall Last: Finding Grace When Suffering Lingers, by K. J. Ramsey: “We will have suffering in this world, and as we courageously endure it, the whole church will better know the sustaining power and presence of Christ.”
© 2022 Dawn Rutan text and image. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.
